What fear has held you back the most in your life?

Fear is something we all carry, though it shows up differently for each of us. It can keep us safe, but it can also hold us back from opportunities, relationships, and growth. We asked some brilliant members of the community to share the one fear that has shaped their choices the most—and their answers reveal just how universal, yet deeply personal, our struggles with fear really are.

Teralyn Legall

The fear that’s held me back the most has been the need for people’s approval. For a long time, I wanted to be chosen, to be seen, loved, and accepted. I craved validation because I thought it would fill the emptiness inside me. But after facing rejection more times than I can count, I realized that chasing approval only distances you from your true self. Read more>>

Delisha Hodo

As a reformed people pleaser, I spent years putting everyone else before myself because I was terrified of disappointing others or having them think poorly of me. It was always easier to shrink myself, to accommodate, to keep the peace – even when it cost me my own voice or needs. Looking back, I think it started when I was bullied as a child. Read more>>

Nisa Traylise

I really used to think it was a fear of failing, now I know it’s really a fear of succeeding. The fear that has held me back the most in my life is the fear of succeeding. Success means stepping fully into my potential, and for a long time that felt overwhelming. What if I couldn’t maintain it? Read more>>